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I don't think you have to do that anymore. Those days of a young band going out and slogging clubs and playing originals is almost gone. I have several small clubs located close to me, and 75% of the shows are tribute bands (High Voltage, The Reagan Years, Heart Brigade, ZOSO), 20% of the shows are bands on the back side of their careers (Blue Oyster Cult, Goo Goo Dolls) and a rare case of a new band trying to make it, and usually those are done as some contest like "Battle of the DC Bands".

Wow, this is EXACTLY like the Jersey Shore too. When I look at the concert calendars, its now almost ALL tribute bands, and like Keifer Sutherland or some other actor. I think Stryper and Dweezil Zappa were the only slightly interesting acts, and they are both sorta Tribute bands in a sense. The days of the new up and coming original band are sorta gone. I was absolutely amazed at how many fucking tribute bands there are when I was trying to book our last show. Tool tribute bands, Sublime tribute bands, Nirvana tribute bands. The last time we were going to play the Stone Pony, they wanted us to pick a 90s band and be a tribute band for a nite with like 5 other bands doing the same. Needless to say, I passed on that one.... It's almost like original music has run its course.... Weezer is doing Toto covers now... Though I gotta say I fucking love this, more than the original

He's already done three full tours as an A list touring act, I don't think he has any desire as a multi-millionaire to go out and play in front of 250 people at some shitty club in Walla Walla.

This is to scratch his creative itch, and then he will go out and play with dad, Uncle Al and whichever singer of the moment that Ed doesn't loathe.

Eventually he will be like Jason Bonham, opening for other bands doing a "A Night with Van Halen".

Even that is a struggle. Ticket sales this concert season are down very significantly across the board. It feels like its dead and can't get worse for a few years but the numbers are even worse this season.

My belief is that if he's gonna put all this work into it, he NEEDS to hit the
road and tour it.
Set up that merch table, meet the fans city by city.
That's a real artist with real ambition and real belief in what they do.

Samantha Fish is a good example of that.
She puts on product & plays and plays, and soon you are generating a buzz.

Wolf doesn't have to go this route, but i think he should.

I'd definitely check him out if he hit Boston.
And while i'm there & in the spirit, i'd probably buy his CD at the merch table.

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This is the 1st year since I was like 14 that I remember not having tickets to any shows. I'm done with the overpriced Amphitheater bullshit. The only bands I could even deal with around here on that circuit are Zombie and Manson and I've already seen them multiple times when they were putting out new music and relevant. I passed on $100 Maiden tix last year and $90 lawn seats for Foo Fighters this summer. I'm sorta done with making all these guys richer just because they know they can get those types of ticket prices from the general fan base. Just not worth it to me, especially the $12 drinks and $35 parking. That shit will go the way of the shopping mall in a few years once our generation stops paying absurd prices.

Even that is a struggle. Ticket sales this concert season are down very significantly across the board. It feels like its dead and can't get worse for a few years but the numbers are even worse this season.

Because the prices are just plain stupid.

Even Taylor Swift is bending over her tween fanbase, just because she can.

I go to shows, but i'm not paying 300.00 to see an ancient Fleetwood Mac with spare
part musicians.

My belief is that if he's gonna put all this work into it, he NEEDS to hit the
road and tour it.
Set up that merch table, meet the fans city by city.
That's a real artist with real ambition and real belief in what they do.

Samantha Fish is a good example of that.
She puts on product & plays and plays, and soon you are generating a buzz.

Wolf doesn't have to go this route, but i think he should.

I'd definitely check him out if he hit Boston.
And while i'm there & in the spirit, i'd probably buy his CD at the merch table.

While I like Samantha Fish, let's be honest. She is an average player at best. She's leveraging the cute girl thing for all its worth and that's fine. I think she's talented, but she isn't anything special. There is something about a pretty girl playing guitar that resonates with most men. Then again, there seems to be legions of people who think Joe Bonamassa is the 2nd coming of Hendrix so who knows.

Doesn’t that seem like what he’s doing? Producing the whole record by himself and not relying on a guest appearance by Dad or Uncle Al to sell the album to the VHLinks crowd?

The VHlinks crowd lol? What, all ten of them? He'll distribute more copies to his friends than what's left of the online fan base.

No, it doesn't seem like what he's doing. Real musicians tour and grind. They're WORKING musicians. Doesn't matter how rich or not rich they are. They play gigs all year round. Musicians that aren't at the arena level. Look at Robert Randolph. He's literally the best steel pedal guitarist on the planet. Not enough people know him or see him for him to play arenas for 3 months. He plays clubs, sheds, festivals all year round. This is the part where you tell me Wolfgang doesn't have to do that because of his family money and his stint replacing Mike Anthony in Van Halen. And next is the part where I tell you that doesn't mean shit to real working musicians. The only way...the ONLY way his music will ever be appreciated by an even moderate audience is to tour. A lot. Anywhere and everywhere he can.

LOL, some of you are reaching to think he's somehow gonna regenerate the Van Halen music brand just by doing it all online. Buncha VH4 fanboys who give Wolfgang overcompensating credit simply because they think he's the sole reason they got to see Dave and Eddie play live together. Newsflash. There's two or three other reasons for your VH4 happiness. In descending order of importance, here they are. Dough. Alex. Dave.

In any case, nothing he's done so far...including singing weak backing vox and playing the boom stick in Van Halen...including brief snippets of sound on Instagram (clearly working toward a Tool/Avenged hybrid derivative, fwiw)...warrants much interest. What will warrant possible interest?

TOURING.

Yes, it doesn't happen much to rockers trying to bust out anymore. Rock is dead. But his only chance of becoming a sensation of even a fraction of his father's band's success will be through touring and being seen and heard. He ain't gonna become some viral YouTube social media sensation with the kind of music he's attempting.

I don’t think anybody in their right mind expects Wolfgang’s album or success to hold a candle to his father’s. Why is that the bar for success? Different times, different landscapes.

You’re awfully invested in Wolf’s career strategies and trajectories for somebody who seems to despise him so much.

Haha. I don't despise him. I'm completely indifferent to him. You know jack shit about making it in the music biz if you think that success achieved by touring is short sighted. Even Justin Bieber toured. I couldn't give less of a fuck whether he succeeds or not. I was simply commenting on your admittedly apparent lack of knowledge in how modern musical success works for the average musician even in this digital internet day and age. Show me one new artist that's made it in the last fifteen years without ample touring.

You know jack shit about making it in the music biz if you think that success achieved by touring is short sighted.

I've never said success can't be achieved by touring, but in this day and age its not the only avenue, and it might not be the best avenue for Wolf.

I don't know why you keep saying I don't think he should tour, I absolutely do. But touring isn't the only way to get your music out in this day and age, and nowadays a lot of groups build a following online before touring.

Originally Posted by Van Squalen

Even Justin Bieber toured.

With help from Usher, bankrolling from Daddy, and on the back of non-touring promotional strategies.

Originally Posted by Van Squalen

I was simply commenting on your admittedly apparent lack of knowledge in how modern musical success works for the average musician even in this digital internet day and age.

Aw thanks, ❤️

Originally Posted by Van Squalen

Show me one new artist that's made it in the last fifteen years without ample touring.

Here's one example of a guy who didn't tour for a long time, got decent success on YouTube, and then apparently did a a few dates in 2016, but hasn't had any since: Rob Scallon. He's making decent money off it. It's not a 1:1 comparison because that's not the kind of artist or career Wolf is trying to be/have. But it's an example of getting plenty of exposure without touring.

Colbie Caillat also had her first mainstream hit before starting extensive touring. That was back in the days of MySpace, her song blew up on there and then she "made it."

We don't know what Wolf wants out of this project, so I don't know why you keep assuming that he has to tour and reach his father's level of success. He may just release it and call it a day. And who cares if that's what he does? More power to him. And even if he does tour for decades, he's not going to achieve the level of success VH did, so I still don't understand why he's being held to that bar.

Show me one new artist that's made it in the last fifteen years without ample touring.

AKA Cash me ousside girl:

May not be your type of music. But she blew up over a few youtube vids after being on Dr. Phil for epitomizing white trash... I believe she was even nominated for best new artist or best female rapper at the Billboard awards this year.

And Bieber was discovered on youtube by Usher and became an overnight sensation when all the little girls saw him. Its not like he was touring clubs for years honing his craft. He only started touring after the industry anointed him the next teen idol cash cow.

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